The present invention relates generally to the field of internal combustion engines, and more particularly to starting systems for such engines.
Internal combustion engines are generally started using a starting motor that engages gears on the engine flywheel to cause the engine crankshaft to begin turning thereby causing the pistons to move within the cylinders. As the engine turns over, fuel is introduced into the engine cylinders and in the case of spark ignited engines, the spark plugs are energized to cause the fuel to ignite, thereby causing the engine to start running. In the case of compression ignited engines, the fuel ignites when the compression and heat in the cylinder reach sufficient levels and the engine thereafter starts running.
To start the engine, a controller or other circuitry must cause a gear on the starter motor to engage the gearing on the flywheel, and must also cause electrical current to be applied to the starter motor to cause the motor to begin turning the engine. As is know to those skilled in the art, the starter motor generally requires a significant amount of power, which is generally supplied by a battery. In the event that the battery, or other devices in the starting system are performing less than optimally, then the starting system may have difficulty or may be unable to start the engine.
It is important to be able to determine the performance level of the starting system in many applications. For example, when an engine is used in connection with a generator set that is used to supply standby power, it is important to know whether the starting system performance is sufficient to start the engine. Prior art systems generally measure battery voltage to determine whether there is sufficient power to start the engine. However, it would be preferable to have a system that could determine whether the starting system performance was degrading even though it may be within acceptable limits. This would then allow the operator to take preventative action and perform starting system maintenance prior to a complete starting system failure.
These and other aspects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the following detailed description of the invention in conjunction with the drawings and appended claims.